


I Will Take Care of You

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Children, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Post Bartlett Administration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-10
Updated: 2009-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-30 12:45:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15097013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Now it's Abbey's turn to look after her mother.





	I Will Take Care of You

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

On a September afternoon in nineteen sixty one  
A baby girl's first cry rang out - a new life had begun.  
Her mother rocked her in her arms, and she kissed the tiny brow.  
She said 'Darling I'm just as scared as you, but I promise you somehow...'  
(Chorus)  
I will take care of you  
The very best that I can  
With all of the love here in my heart  
And all of the strength in my hands  
Your every joy I'll share  
For every tear I'll be there my whole life through  
I will take care of you  
(Verse two)  
On a September afternoon in ninety eighty five  
That little girl had grown into a beautiful young bride  
And she turned to the man who held her hand  
In front of the waiting crowd  
They smiled at each other as they spoke,  
And this was their wedding vow.... And they said....  
I will take care of you  
The very best that I can  
With all of the love here in my heart  
And all of the strength in my hands  
Your every joy I'll share  
For every tear I'll be there my whole life through  
I will take care of you.  
(Bridge)  
On a September afternoon in ninety eighty nine  
A Girl waited by a hospital bed, never leaving her mother's side  
She said 'mom, why don't you close your eyes - try to get some rest.  
It's my turn to take care of you...  
I learned from the best, I will take care of you'  
(Chorus)

With all of the love here in my heart  
And all of the strength in my hands

On a September afternoon in ninety ninety one  
A baby girl's first cry rang out - a new life had begun

"Mom? Are you okay?" Abbey rushes into the hospital room and finds her mother lying limply in the sterile bed.

"I'm fine, dear. I told them not to call you." CJ manages a weak smile and tries to sit up right as Abbey bends over to hug her and kiss her cheek.

"Mom, you had a bad fall. Of course I came." Abbey abandons her purse on the ground and perches on the end of the bed, reaching to take her mother's hand in her own. She hates the look of her mother's arm attached to the IV, probably delivering painkillers. It reminds her of her father's last day on earth and all the wires that had been keeping him alive the last few hours of his life.

"I'm fine. It was just a broken ankle. They did x-rays. I didn't lose consciousness. I'm perfectly coherent. Quick, quiz me on who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations committee." CJ cracks a joke to relieve her daughter's obvious concern. Truth be told, her eighty-three year-old body is aching and tired.

Abbey roles her head with a smile. "You like to joke, but I don't like hearing that you fell at home going down the stairs. I'm gonna talk to the orthopedic doctor and make sure you're going to heal properly. I tried to get a hold of Noah but he's got the economic advisers and won't be done `til this evening."

CJ shakes her head with a flippant wave of her wrist. "No, don't bother Noah. There's already too many Secret Service agents here with you and I don't want any more interrupting the work going on in the hospital. Besides, I'm going to be out of here in a couple hours after they put the cast on. I want to go home and do the Times cross-word and make a cup of tea. "

Abbey grins, glad her mother hasn't lost her spirit. " All right, but you're not going home alone tonight. I'll come stay with you or something."

CJ shakes her head again, not wanting her daughter to have to look after her." No, I'll be fine by myself. They're gonna give me a nice pair of crutches and I'll be all right."

"How we doing?" A young brown-haired doctor in a white coat knocks and enters the room.

"Oh, hi. I'm Abbey Lyman, CJ's daughter." Abbey stands up and offers the doctor her hand.

"Hunter Franken, chief orthopedic surgeon. We did x-rays and I'm confident your mother is going to heal just fine. We'll put a cast on and in eight to ten weeks she should be pretty much back to normal. Are you still in pain?" the doctor inquires, glancing at the I.V.

"Nope. Whatever you got in there is working," CJ informs the doctor with an overly positive grin. She just hates people fussing over her. She figures if she pretends to feel all right then they'll let her out of the hospital soon.

"Good. Well I'll be right back to put the cast on, but in the mean time sit tight." The orthopedic surgeon brushes out of the room as quick as he came in, clearly in a hurry.

"So, how are the kids?" CJ asks, deliberately averting the conversation to something more light-hearted.

* * *

Abbey makes her way toward the nurses' station where she spots the orthopedic doctor shaking hands with her husband before dismissing himself to go into another hospital room. "Hey, you made it!"

Noah steps forward to reach for Abbey's hand and lean in for a quick kiss. "Yeah. When Eva gave me the message that your mom was in the hospital I wanted to come by and make sure everything was okay. I just talked to Dr. Franken and he said it was a fairly clean break that he just had to put a cast on."

"Yeah. They got her a wheel chair and crutches to use until it heals, but she's supposedly going to recover easily. She's just going to sign the release papers and we're done here." Abbey steers Noah toward the room her mother is occupying, Secret Service agents in tow.

"I'm so relieved. I offered to get the bill but apparently her insurance is going to cover everything." Noah lets Abbey steer him down the hallway, his hand wrapped securely around hers.

Abbey nods with a bob of her head, but her brow is furrowed. "Noah, I can't send her home by herself. She's not supposed to put a lot of weight on her left leg so she's going to need a lot of help. I think I might camp out at her house in Virginia for a few days to look after her. The problem is I don't know what to do about the kids. Maybe your parents could come over and spend time with them after school?"

"Sure, or your mom could stay with us for a while? We can get her settled and then maybe you could go and pick up an over-night bag for her," Noah suggests, stopping short of the designated room.

"Well, that could work but I don't think she'll like to stay at the White House where the press can keep daily tabs on her recovery. She might be uncomfortable." Since Noah had taken office in January and they moved their family into the White House Residence, CJ had avoided staying over. She frequently entertained them at her house and loved keeping the kids over-night, but usually rebuffed invitations to go to the White House. CJ felt like she had too many bittersweet memories of her days of working in the West Wing, and even after forty years CJ didn't usually desire to revisit her old haunts. Especially since Danny died, she hadn't wanted to revisit the place where she had met the love of her life and spent eight years fending off his advances. Besides, she would argue to Abbey, it was important that the family frequent her house to keep a semblance of normalcy for the kids who were still adjusting to life with daddy as President. And ever since Danny died over a year ago, CJ had longed to keep close ties with her children and grandchildren. They were the only things that kept her going when her grief would paralyze her.

"Well, I think we should insist. There's no place else where she'll get better care. We can keep an eye on her, the staff can help her get around, and I've always got a doctor on duty." Noah really wants to bring CJ back to stay with their family. Truth be told, he feels like it would be easier on everyone. Abbey constantly worried about her widowed mother, and the kids always loved seeing their grandmother. He sees it as a win-win situation.

"Okay, we can give it a shot," Abbey shrugs as she opens the door and finds her mother trying to stand up by using the crutches. "Mom, stop!" She rushes over to the bed and places her hands under CJ's left arm to help support the weight.

Noah holds CJ's right arm and helps to lower her back onto the bed. "Take it easy. You probably shouldn't be walking."

"Mom, you shouldn't be getting up on your own. You broke your ankle for God's sake," Abbey admonishes, taking a deep breath now that they've managed to avoid another big fall.

CJ rolls her eyes. "And I'm fine. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"But you're not, CJ," Noah remarks gently, taking a seat next to his mother-in-law on the bed. " I talked to the doctor and he thinks you're going to heal nicely, but for the next couple months you're going to have to stay off your feet most of the time. That means you're going to need a lot of help."

"We want you to come stay with us at the Residence," Abbey admits, already foreseeing the rebuttal.

"No," CJ replies hastily.

"Mom, Noah and I are bringing you home with us. We're gonna make sure you're taken care of until your ankle heals," Abbey tells her mother straightly. She's asserting her own influence as caregiver. The older woman may have raised her, but Abbey is no longer the vulnerable one in need of loving attention.

"You can't. Noah's in the West Wing sixteen hours a day and you've got to go to work. You've got no time to be worrying about me. I'll be fine at home." CJ wants to stand up to her daughter, but realizes that her argument is persuasiveness deficient. She's exhausted and hopped up on medicine, and as a result her defenses are low.

"I'll stay home from the office the next few days and after that the residence staff can help out," Abbey suggests breezily.

"Look, guys, I appreciate the offer but I don't want your butlers and stewards fussing over me." The only thing worse than having her daughter look after her would be to have the maids looking after her.

"Okay, we can figure out the details later. In the mean time, we're gonna take you to the Residence and get you settled in, and then I'll drive to your house and pick up whatever you want to bring back." Abbey rubs her mother's back in comfort, but knows that the gesture won't really accomplish its goal.

* * *  
"Be very gentle, sweetheart. Nana's got a broken ankle," Abbey reminds her son as she slowly opens the door to the guest room that CJ is staying in.

"I've gotta go to bed so I just came to say good –night," seven year-old Liam informs his grandmother as he crawls into the Queen-sized bed with luxurious sheets. He is all ready for bed in his favourite pajamas.

"Oh, good night, sweetie. I'm sorry I can't come to tuck you in, but I'll see you before school in the morning." CJ envelops her grandson in an embrace and runs her hands through his fine, light brown curls.

Liam flashes a toothy grin with many gaps where his baby teeth had recently fell out. "I'm sorry that you hurt your leg, but I'm happy that you get to stay with us. Tomorrow we can play Battle Ship and card games!"

CJ laughs lightly, probably for the first time that day. "We can play any game as long as it isn't Twister. Your mother won't let me move out of bed let alone play that game."

Abbey's face falls into a grimace. She's not deliberately trying to restrict her mother's freedom, but she has a feeling CJ resents her regardless. "All right, honey, go get into bed so Daddy can read you a story before he has to go back to work."

"Okay. Good night, Nana." Liam gives his grandma one last little hug before jumping out of the bed and out of the room.

Abbey perches on the end of the bed and tries to meet her mother's wandering gaze. "Look, I know you don't want to be here but sometimes you have to agree to do something because someone you love asks you to. To be totally honest, I don't want to be here either. What won't come as a shock to you is the fact that this was not how I imagined I'd be raising my children. But Noah wanted to be President, and I knew what an amazing job he would do and I love him more than anything, so here I am…in this `glorious prison' as you like to refer to it as."

CJ glances up, her mouth agape. She knew Abbey wasn't always thrilled about Noah's campaign or election or moving into the White House, but she had never expressly stated so in such a direct manner. "Honey, I'm sorry. I know it can't be easy right now. The seemingly endless campaign is finally over and you're trying to get everyone adjusted to the next phase. I know how hard it is for you to be the President's wife. You must hate the security detail and living in a virtual museum and never seeing your husband. And let's face it, you were not born to be a First Lady, even if you were named after one. You're a career woman. I was so proud of you when you took the Hollis Foundation and brought an office to Washington. You're doing so well running the Foundation, but you've had to give up a lot so Noah could run for President. You've got enough to deal with now and I just don't want to add another burden to your already difficult life right now."

Abbey pats her mother's arm with a tiny smile. "I actually see Noah more now than I did in the entire twenty months long campaign, so that's kinda nice, but the rest is true. Jordan hates living here and having the Secret Service agents constantly following her. She misses being a normal kid and being able to hang out with her friends, so it's been a constant struggle to get her into a good mood the last few months. I just want the kids to grow up normally and get a positive experience out of Noah's presidency. And actually, having you stay here with us is the most normal family thing we've done since we've moved in here, so please don't think you're a burden. You spent the last thirty-eight years taking care of me, I think it's about time I started to return the favour. And before you protest, remember that there's nothing wrong with accepting help. Admitting you need assistance does not mean you're weak. Remember you used to tell me that?"

CJ nods with an understanding little grimace. "I guess it's part of the indignity of aging. God, sometimes I wish I could have gone with your father. God should have taken me when He called Danny home." Once it's out, CJ regrets admitting it. She usually doesn't disclose to her daughter how lonely and frustrated she's become in the last year without her husband. When Danny died, Noah was in the middle of the election primary season and he and Abbey were traveling a lot. She hadn't wanted them to give up on Noah's biggest dream just to stay home and keep a lonely widow company.

Abbey's lips tremble and she sighs, absolutely distraught at her mother's revelation. "Mom, please don't say that. You've got so much to live for here. Me and Pat and Noah and the grandkids still need you around. We love you so much and aren't ready to let go."

CJ huffs lightly. "Sure, until I can no longer be productive and look after the kids. I can't even manage to keep up with Mylie any more, and I haven't been able to take Daniel from Pat and Alexia for a night to give them a break. At some point I won't even be able to do what I love the most, loving all of you. "

Abbey's voice becomes sterner as she becomes upset. "Please stop talking like that. You'll always be able to love. There's nothing wrong with you besides a broken ankle, so please stop imagining that your life is over. I know you miss Daddy, and I do, too. But you've got to find joy in everything you still have left."

CJ nods, fighting back her tears. It's been a long day and she doesn't want to conjure up any more heavy feelings. "I know. Why don't you go tuck Liam in? I think I'm going to watch CNN for a while."

"All right. I'll go get you some tea and something to eat," Abbey offers, standing up right.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry," CJ responds with an apologetic expression.

Abbey narrows her eyes at her mother and adopts her motherly scowl that she usually only directs to her own children when they are uncooperative. "Mom, you wouldn't have dinner with us so you haven't eaten in eight hours. I want you to at least eat a piece of toast."

"Hey, how are you feeling, Mom?" Pat pokes his head into the room, looking a little frazzled.

"Oh, sweetie. What are you doing here?" CJ inquires as Pat crosses the guest room to sit on the edge of the bed and give his mother a hug

"Well, I wanted to make sure you were all right. Abbey told me what happened with your leg. I wanted to get here sooner but the kids both have a fever and Alexia needed a lot of help getting them to sleep. It's the first time Daniel's gotten sick and he's still only seven months old so Alexia was freaking out. I was finally able to leave once they were both down for the night." Pat quickly assesses his mother's current state and deduces that she looks a little more tired than usual, but not in a whole lot of pain.

"I'm sorry to hear the babies aren't feeling well. You should get back home to help Alexia in case they wake up. " CJ grasps Pat's arm and runs her hand up and down, glad to see her son again. She knows Abbey is at least partly right in that she should be grateful to have the wonderful family that Danny left her with, and not dwell on the loss of her husband. Unfortunately, it's easier for them to recommend that to her than it is for her to actually believe it.

"No, it's okay. Alexia insisted I bring flowers, so one of the butlers is putting them in a vase for you to enjoy." Pat runs a hand quickly through his mess of tangled, loose red curls. At thirty-seven, the man is a spitting image of his father, minus the facial hair because Pat prefers to be clean-shaven.

"Thank you, sweetheart, but please don't go out of your way to do anything. I really am fine. Just a little broken ankle. I'm going to be better in no time," CJ tries to convince her son that she doesn't need any special attention.

"Okay. Is there anything I can do? Do you need anything from the house?" Pat feels guilty for not being able to get to the hospital with Abbey that afternoon.

"I took care of it. I got her a couple suitcases of clothes and toiletries and stuff," Abbey updates her brother.

"So you're going to bunk down here for a while?" Pat confirms. Abbey had told him that they were going to try to keep CJ in the Residence as long as they could so she could heal properly.

"I've been kidnapped," CJ declares with a little smirk that suggests she's mostly joking.

"Hey, it's not a bad deal," Pat claims with a little shrug. "You can eat eggs benedict every morning and watch the great satellite TV, and maids waiting on you all the time."

"You wanna stay here, too?" Abbey teases her younger brother, gently nudging his arm.

With a little eye-roll, Pat nods. " Would be kinda nice for a while. We've got our hands full with a two year-old and baby."

"Hey, you're welcome to take shelter here whenever you want," Abbey tells her brother seriously. "Bring Alexia and the kids and we'll make it a family reunion. I know Jordan and Liam love seeing their cousins."

"Ha, ha! I may take you up on that some time." Pat does enjoy seeing his sister and her family, but he's always uncomfortable in the White House. He shied away from the family during the whole campaign, only attending the Democratic convention in the summer and the election night party in November, and that was only because CJ had insisted he go since she was being dragged back into the spotlight, as well.

"That would be lovely," CJ concurs with the idea of having her entire family under one roof for a night. " But in the mean time, please get back to your family, PJ. I'm fine here. If you've got some time later maybe you can drop by and visit, but don't fret about it."

Pat plants his feet back on the ground and bends to give his mother another hug. "All right. Well don't hesitate to call if you need anything. I'll definitely bring the kids to see you once they're feeling better."

"Okay, sweetie. I love you." CJ kisses Pat's cheek, reveling in the occasion where her grown son allows her to show affection.

"I love you, Mom. Take care of that ankle." With a last squeeze of his mother's bony hand, Pat makes his way across the guest room toward the door.

"I'll walk you out," Abbey offers, following her brother. " Mom, I'll be back with some toast and tea in a few minutes."

"So, she looks all right," Pat states with a questioning infliction.

"Yeah. I know her leg is going to be fine, but I'm concerned about her heart," Abbey divulges as she leads Pat past the family's private sitting room.

"What's wrong with her heart?" Pat demands in alarm.

Abbey shakes her head. "Nothing physically. It's just…she's so sad. I thought maybe she was getting better and adjusting to life without Dad, but she told me how lonely she is. I think we all need to spend more time with her, make her remember all the wonderful people she still has in her life."

With a nod, Pat pauses at the entrance to the family's private living quarters. "We can certainly try that. Maybe when she gets sick of staying here I can bring her to our house for a few days."

"Actually, I was thinking of maybe something more permanent. I haven't discussed it with Noah yet, but I think I'd like to invite her to move in here with us. "Abbey had just thought of the idea when CJ was confessing her feelings of loneliness and abandonment.

Pat smiles at that suggestion. " Really? Well I'm sure it would be good for Mom, but you've already got a lot to deal with here."

Pursing her lips, Abbey tilts her head in deep consideration. "You know what? I think it might actually make things easier. I won't be constantly worrying about her falling or slipping back into depression. Plus, it'll be good for the kids to have her around. I'm trying to keep us all as grounded as possible, and having Mom here might make that easier."

Pat nods in agreement with the proposed solution. "Sure. Well if you need any help looking after her, don't hesitate to call. I can come over and relieve you some time. Or I could take her away from the White House on outings so she doesn't feel like she's on house arrest."

"We'll work something out. Now go get back to your wife and kids," Abbey directs playfully, pulling her brother in for a loose hug. " Thanks for dropping by."

"No problem. Good luck and we'll talk soon." Pat makes his way down the public hall and towards the elevators, feeling a little more at ease with his mother's situation.

* * *

"Well I want to invite him over, but I think Dad would scare the crap out of him," Jordan confesses to her grandmother the next afternoon after school, throwing some popcorn in her mouth.

CJ giggles, wrapping one arm around her thirteen year-old granddaughter. " I'm sure he'd be fine with it. You know, your parents started dating when they were just your age, and your papa had a fit when he found out. He wanted to build a dungeon and keep your mother away from your father."

Jordan laughs out loud, imagining how protective her grandfather was of her mom when she was a kid. " That sounds like something Dad would do. I'm afraid he'd threaten Graeme with extraditing him to Siberia, or maybe introduce him to the Joint Chiefs of Staff to scare him off."

CJ chuckles as she takes a handful of popcorn off the coffee table. "Yeah, those weren't options available to Danny. I guess it's a little harder with your father as President."

"Waaaaaay harder," Jordan agrees wholeheartedly. " He won't even let me go out with my friends unless the agents approve first. I can't go to the movies or bowling because they're too difficult to guarantee safety, and I can't go to any of my friends' houses unless they get an FBI background check."

CJ grimaces in sympathy for her granddaughter. "Well, your mom said you had some girlfriends over for a party a few weeks ago. That was nice."

Jordan flips absently between stations on the giant T.V in the kid's den with the remote controller. "Yeah, that was the most normal kid thing I've gotten to do since we moved in here. Hey, you're not gonna tell Mom and Dad that I got a crush on my friend Graeme, are you?"

CJ smiles, remembering how nice it is to be the grandmother and not the parent this time around. "Nope. You're not doing anything wrong that your parents need to know about. But I think if you really like this boy and want to spend time with him, you should ask your parents if it's okay to have him over to hang out. I'm sure they'll come around. Tell your mom first so she can help you convince your dad. That's what your mom always did at our house. She'd come to me first so she had an ally every time she asked Danny for something." CJ finds it hard to believe her granddaughter is already pubescent. It seems like just last week that she was coaxing Danny and Abbey through Abbey's maturing years.

Jordan bobs her head of curly strawberry-blonde hair at the suggestion. She likes when her grandparents tell her stories of her parents growing up. They're always so busy now that she forgets that at one time they were young and completely in love. That was before they had her and her brother, and way before her father ran for President. Nowadays they don't always get enough time to enjoy their marriage and family. But Jordan knows deep inside that her parents will never stop loving each other, her or Liam. Even through all the craziness, they both take time to make sure she and her brother know how loved they are.

Abbey breezes into the room carrying a cup of tea for her mother and a glass of juice for her daughter. "So I talked to Donna and she and Josh are going to come for dinner. They really wanted to see you and the kids."

"That sounds nice," CJ responds, her spirits rising even more. Even though her ankle sometimes bothers her and she can't walk around on her own, she has had a pretty good day. Abbey had stayed home from work to keep her company and help her get to and from the various rooms in the Residence. They had a nice lunch prepared for them in the family's private kitchen and then CJ spent a couple hours reading and dozing in her room. Noah's on-call physician had stopped in to check on the President's mother-in-law and make sure the healing process was going as predicted. He said he wanted to drop by every day to inspect the ankle and cast and monitor CJ's mobility with the wheel chair and crutches. He would be there to assist her until it was time for her start physiotherapy. When the kids got home from school, she had played with Liam before he had to go to soft-ball practice. Once Jordan finished her homework, the little girl asked her to watch TV and `chat' for a while. It was the most consecutive time CJ had spent with her family in months, and it was making her feel better about being cooped up in the White House while she was partly incapacitated.

* * *

"She looks good, but how is she really feeling?" Donna lowers her voice as she helps her daughter-in-law carry the dishes from the formal dining room to the kitchen so they could be washed and placed back in their proper place.

Abbey's lips purse and she sighs lowly. " I don't know. She admitted that she still misses my dad so much, but I get the sense that she doesn't want me to worry about it so she doesn't discuss it very often."

"Yeah, that's the impression I get when I talk to her. She used to cry on my shoulder all the time when the grief was so new, but now I think she's restraining herself from confessing her feelings because she's worried about over-burdening her family and friends." Donna hands a stack of plates to one of the maids.

"I just don't know what to do, Donna. I definitely wasn't around enough last year due to the election and I feel horrible for not being there for her more often." Abbey sets some glasses on the counter and follows Donna back towards the family's sitting room.

Donna wraps an arm around Abbey. "Well, honey, it's not your fault. You've had a lot on your plate the last year. Besides, you're not the only one who's got a responsibility to look after your mother. We can all do more to help out." Donna feels guilty for not being a better friend to CJ. She and Josh usually try to have dinner or an afternoon tea with CJ every week, and she and CJ talk on the phone every couple days, but she knows she should be doing more. She's been so preoccupied with helping Abbey and Noah with the kids lately that perhaps she neglected CJ.

The women enter the sitting room to be greeted with light-hearted laughing. Liam had located his Crayola markers and is proceeding to draw on CJ's cast as she sits in the arm-chair with her leg elevated on a foot stool and allows her grandson to make a doodle out of her injured leg. She is already starting to feel better after spending the day with her extended family.

"Leave some room for me to make a rose," Jordan instructs her little brother, sitting on the floor so she can get good access to the cast.

"Kids, be careful with Nana's leg," Abbey reminds them, taking a seat on the loveseat next to her husband. She loves the nights when Noah can take an hour to have dinner with the family. It doesn't always happen, but he makes a concerted effort to try to at least have an hour or two with her and the children every night. He usually leaves the hours between six and eight free so he can have dinner with his family and tuck his son into bed, but sometimes he is called back to the West Wing for crisis management. Then, after Liam is asleep, Noah would head back to the office for a few more hours of work.

"Oh, they're not hurting a thing. Let them colour. I think this cast looks better already," CJ declares with a small chuckle.

"That's some mighty fine handiwork you got, CJ. I'm thinking of flinging myself off the stairs tomorrow so I can get a cool cast," Josh jests as Donna sits beside him on the couch.

"Don't you dare!" Donna warns with a severe look at her husband. "I've got enough trouble taking care of you."

* * *  
"Noah?" Abbey curls up next to her husband a week later while they lie in bed.

"Mmm?" Noah absently lays an arm across Abbey's torso without opening his eyes.

"I think we should ask my mom to move in with us," Abbey states evenly, sitting up slightly.

Noah pries his eyes open so he can give his wife his full attention. "You mean like permanently?"

Abbey runs a hand down Noah's arm that is resting on her stomach. "Yeah. You know, the kids have been having a great time with her. It's nice that she's here when they get home from school, especially when I'm at the foundation until five o'clock or you're down in the West Wing. And her mood has definitely been improving since she came here. I know she grumbles about living in the Residence and hates all the attention, but I think she's happier getting to see us every day."

"Yeah. Things have been going really well," Noah agrees easily.

Abbey's face falls into a concerned frown. "Noah, I went into her bathroom to get her pain medicine today and I found anti-depressants. I think she started taking them after my dad died and didn't want anyone to know. Honey, I just hate that. I hate that she's so lonely and upset. I wish I had known earlier. I want to do more. I really want her to live here so I can help take care of her."

Noah bobs his head. "Okay. Then we'll ask her to stay. But you've got to be prepared that she might not want to. She's a proud and accomplished woman and she won't want to give up her independence. I think her broken ankle has made her realize that her body is starting to deteriorate."

With a sigh, Abbey concedes the truth in that. "I know. But we can do this gradually. She can slowly get used having other people help her out. I don't know how much longer she's going to live, but I want her last years to be spent living happily with us, not rotting away all alone in the bungalow."

"Of course. We won't let that happen. If you want her to stay, she's more than welcome to. We'll do whatever it takes." Noah nods and closes his eyes, exhausted from another eighteen-hour day.

* * *

Abbey raps lightly on the door to CJ's guest room. She finds her mother folding clothes into a suitcase on the bed, " Hey. What are you doing?"

"I think I'm going to go back home. I'm feeling better now and you need to get your life back to normal." CJ takes her toothbrush and cases and zips it into the front pocket of the suitcase.

"No, you can't go back. Mom, you still need help getting around." Abbey steps across the room to the bed and sits down on the bed. She lays her hand over her mother's to prevent her from putting more items into the luggage.

"I'm fine, dear. It's time to go. I've been here long enough. Today I was asked to appear on `Meet the Press'. It's getting a little too cozy." CJ rubs her daughter's cheek affectionately with a weary smile.

"Mom, you can't go. There's no one at your house to help take care of you," Abbey protests.

"I'll be all right. The neighbours offered to help with grocery shopping and cleaning and everything until I'm back to one hundred percent. Plus, Pat is close and I'm sure he and Alexia will be around often." CJ tries to force an expression that would convince her daughter that she needed to go back home, but she doesn't think she is being very persuasive.

"No, Mom. Please don't go. I don't want you to go back there. You need to be here so you can see us everyday." Abbey's face falls as she draws her mother's bony torso in for a hug.

"That's sweet, but I need to go back to my home where I belong," CJ responds with another forced smile.

Abbey shakes her head firmly. "But you don't belong there anymore, Mom. Daddy's gone, that's not your home anymore. You belong in this home with your family. You should live with us now. We should pack up the bungalow and have you come stay with us."

CJ inhales sharply, fighting back tears. " I don't want to move everything. That's the house where I spent the last years with your father. It may not have held as many memories as the Santa Monica house, but it was still the home I shared with Danny. It's the last remnants of our life together, the best years of my life. It's all I have left of him. I'm not ready to say the final goodbye."

Abbey's lips tremble and her body racks with sobs, her heart aching at her mother's pain. " Oh, Mommy, I'm so sorry. I understand. I understand that you want to cherish your memories of Daddy. But maybe this isn't the right way. Maybe it's time to let go. Maybe you can hold onto the family that he left you instead. You've got to stick with us."

Hot tears cascade down CJ's cheek unabashedly now. "I'm scared. It hurts so much." CJ's pent up grief inside her slips out every pore, her loneliness radiating sadness out of every cell.

I know it does," Abbey cries, pulling her mother close again and hanging on tightly. "I'm sure it does. But you don't have to do it alone. You never have to be alone. We can help. Pat and Alexia and Noah and Josh and Donna…we can all help you. But you've got to get out of that house because you're so upset and you need to feel better again. We'll help you box everything up. You can keep everything…the half finished crossword Daddy never got to complete, every photograph, every note of paper, all the jewelry, all his writing material. Whatever you want we'll keep. But let's please do this sometime. It doesn't have to be now, but it has to be done. I need you to come and live here with us. And not just because I worry about you, but because I need you, too. We need you here to help with this ridiculous adventure ride we're on for the next four years. Please, Mom. You've been taking care of us for nearly four decades. Let us do something in return."

CJ sighs, bowing her head. "It's hard. I don't like getting old. I don't like to have anyone taking care of me. Because then when they go away, I'm reminded how helpless I am. I hate that feeling. That's how I felt when your father died. I came to depend on him so much. And I don't regret it, because it brought me infinite joy for so many years. But when he was gone, it was like I just couldn't live anymore without him." CJ had always hated codependence. But way back in early 2007, Danny had convinced CJ to let him into her life, and little did she know just how invaluable he would become to her life.

Abbey gives her mother's bony hand a gentle squeeze."I know it must be so hard. But we're gonna show you that there are many reasons not to sink into despair. There's still so much worth living for. So why don't you move in here and we can plan to go to the house this weekend and start boxing up some of your things?"

With a heavy sigh, CJ bobs her head, resigned. " Okay, fine. But I'm not giving interviews and going in front of the press."

With a small smile, Abbey laughs lightly. " Deal. The kids are going to be so excited. And I promise we'll give you your space. You can still be independent and keep up with your normal activities."

CJ smiles a little sadly, impressed with Abbey's sense of duty to help her (even if she hates admitting she needs the help). "You've always been a great mother, but where did you get that desire to help and take care of others?"

Abbey shrugs with a playful grin. " From the same person I got my eyes and ridiculously long legs."

That makes CJ laugh for the first time in far too long. "Ah-kay. Whatever." CJ had never imagined herself a mother-hen, but maybe her daughter was right. Having children changed CJ into a woman with an intense loving obligation to care for her kids and those around them. When Danny was alive, she had certainly always cared for him, but that was more a united partnership with mutually beneficial obligations to one another as loving spouses. And when she considers it further, even her career had be driven by a desire to assist others, whether it was financing women candidates with EMILY's List, getting a good man elected President and serving his administration and the country, or building a foundation to bring muchly needed infrastructure to the land-locked sub-Saharan African continent. Thinking over the course of her life, CJ supposes maybe she is good at taking care of others, and perhaps it was not a bad thing at all that she and Danny had instilled that value in their children. Maybe it's time for her to slow down and let someone take care of her for a change. Finally, after a horrible, heart-breaking year, CJ begins to feel at peace.


End file.
